Taiwan Business Quick Take

Staff writer, with CNA

REAL ESTATE

Tokyo favored by investors

Tokyo is the No. 1 region among Taiwanese property investors, with 35 percent inclined to own a house in the Japanese city because of its proximity to Taiwan and increasing affordability due to a weaker yen, according to a survey released by real-estate broker Taiwan Realty Co (台灣房屋) on Thursday. The survey, which polled 1,808 people online in January, showed the US is the second-most-favored investment location at 30.97 percent, followed by Malaysia at 19.03 percent, said Taiwan Realty, which plans to open an office in Japan in May to better take advantage of the trend.

MANUFACTURING

AcBel proposes dividend

AcBel Polytech Inc (康舒), a power management system supplier, has proposed to issue NT$1.8 in cash dividends, representing a 74 percent dividend payout ratio. At an investor conference on Thursday, AcBel reported NT$1.25 billion (US$41 million) in net profit for last year, up by an annual 19.2 percent. AcBel had earnings per share of NT$2.42 last year, compared with NT$2.04 in 2012. Gross margin rose to 15.4 percent last year from 14.4 percent the previous year, driven by the firm’s efforts to adjust its product portfolio, although its consolidated sales rose 0.8 percent annually to NT$24.60 billion. AcBel remained upbeat about its earnings prospects, projecting that its sales and earnings this year would grow at a double-digit annual rate.